The Garigliano Front 17 January 1944

 

Battle For Monte Natale - book

Book Review by the Historical Miniatures Gamimg Society

 “…all excerpts are scrupulously organized and Strafford certainly did his research, including visiting the battlefield and taking contemporary photos of particular spots.” -Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

19 Jan 44 KOYLI capture Point 201

1 KOYLI ‘A’ & ‘C’ Cos. on Point 201. ‘B’ Co. and HQ in Tufo. All 1 York & Lancs. Cos. in Tufo. 1 Green Howards ‘A’ and ‘B’ Cos. at Point 141 Monte Del Duca. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Cos. and HQ in Minturno. The main road going to the right is the Lateral Road which links up with Castelforte in the East.

1 KOYLI War Diary 

19 Jan 44 – 1300

Two Companies were established on their objectives having suffered themselves few casualties and taking 3 prisoners and probably inflicting many casualties on the enemy. After a stiff little battle Point 201 was ours and a Forward Observation Post established on it. Shortly after Point 201 was occupied, a sharp, but not very heavy counterattack was put in from the East of the village of Tufo and was directed mainly against ‘B’ Company and Battalion Headquarters. An interesting point of this counterattack was that the enemy artillery support was given from guns due West of Tufo whilst the attack came in from the East. During this attack several men were killed in Battalion HQ. and it was decided to move immediately. Battalion HQ accordingly moved nearer the village in the hope of getting out of enemy shelling. These hopes were not successful as the Battalion HQ was shelled heavily during their stay in this area. 

    No heavy counterattack was put in by the enemy against the Battalion HQ in this new area, although on more than one occasion small groups of enemy which were forming up on the Northern slopes of Point 201 were broken up by artillery fire and small arms fire. The night was uneventful – local activity only between patrols. 

Accordingly, by the night 19-20 January the Battalion was firmly established on the Tufo – Point 201 ridge. No rations or supplies of any kind could reach us and by that night we had been 24 hours on one haversack ration and had only what we carried with us for the night.

19 Jan 44 A Bofors gun crew in the Garigliano area.

 19 Jan 44

These men belong to a Bofors gun crew in the Garigliano area. They are doing some sewing and one is observing the sky for enemy planes. In the background transport on the Via Appia can be seen.

The crewmembers' names are also known: Sergeant T.R. Young of Barrhead near Glasgow; Bombardier N. McLean of Staffen, Isle of Skye; Lance Bombardier R. Ruddernam of Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk; Gunner W. Elliot of Mile End, Glasgow; Gunner J. Prendergast of Bootle, Liverpool and the Padre is Captain Ritchie of Dunfermline.

"A Royal Artillery Bofors gun crew making repairs to their uniforms during operations to cross the Garigliano river in Italy, 19 January 1944. doing some sewing. Transport on the Via Appia can be seen in the background. (Photo Captain Richard Gade: IWM TR 1527) 

19 Jan 44 - Regimental Aid Post

          

Private J. Blundell and Gunner J.R. Howarth in their slit trench at a Regimental Aid Post, 

                                             (Photo Capt. R.F. Gade, IWM TR 1528)

 

NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED.

 Book: Battle For Monte Natale Page 65 

1 Green Howards War Diary 19 Jan 44 – 1050 Leading elements of ‘C’ Company entering town [Minturno] followed shortly by ‘A’ Company. ‘B’ Company passed through to Point 141. Meet opposition, eventually getting one Platoon onto the feature. Remainder of Company held up by machine gun and mortar fire. Battalion HQ and ‘D’ Company to area 789960 [just North of Minturno] ‘A’ Company sent Platoon to assist Platoon of ‘D’ Company on Point 141 and get established.

"Mark Howard, historian researching the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery”

Lt. Col TB Davis Regimental History of the 98 Field Regiment Royal Artillery

19 Jan 44

“15 Brigade attacked the ridge, with Major Payne and the 471 Battery Observation Posts in support, and after a hard struggle the Green Howards fought their way into Minturno during the afternoon.”

 

19 Jan 44 A Sherman crossing the River Garigliano on a pontoon raft.

 19 Jan 44

A the same time as 1 KOYLI was taking Point 201 having advanced from Tufo:

Sherman III (M4A2) is hauled across the River Garigliano in Italy on a pontoon raft with a Bailey Bridge section - 19 January 1944 Tyler (Sgt) (Photo IWM NA 10957 WWP-PD)

6 sections of Bailey Bridge, 60 ft. Standard Bailey rafting technique.

19 Jan 44 Point 201 and Tufo

 

                                    Point 201 and Tufo from the plain. (Photo John Strafford)

19 Jan 44 5th Army Sleeping Soldiers

19 Jan 44

 Photos show Lieutenant Olaf Branns, of Hill House, Watlington, Oxon and Lance Corporal A. Durrent, of Bethnal Green, London with The Fifth Army at Lauro, snatching a few moments of sleep in a hay barn during a lull in the fighting in the Garigliano River Valley, Italy.

19 Jan 44 Royal Engineers

 19th January 1944

Royal Engineers in assault boats embark for the opposite bank to repair the last two sections of the pontoon bridge knocked out by enemy fire. (Photo Imperial War Museum).

19 January 1944 REME assemble motorcycles.

 

New motorcycles are assembled at a forward REME workshop by the 56 Infantry Troop Recovery Unit, REME, near the Garigliano River in Italy. Photo Gade (Lt)IWM TR 1525 WWP-PD

17-18 January 8 Royal Fusiliers

 On the night of 17-18 January by the Garigliano River, Fusilier J.W. Roberts, 8th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, wearing a Mae West life jacket which was issued to all troops before crossing the river, lights a cigarette.

 The Hill to Tufo. (Photo John Strafford

See 19 January 1944 -The Battle for Tufo in the right column.

 

Ernest Shaw's hill - 19 January 1944 - Battle for Tufo

 

                                    Ernest Shaw’s hill – Tufo to the right. (Photo John Strafford)

                                                    See 19 January 1944  The Battle for Tufo

Crossing the Garigliano. Near Minturno (Italy) 19 Jan 44

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Book: Battle For Monte Natale Page 56

19 Jan 44

Crossing the Garigliano. Near Minturno (Italy)
During the Allied offensive by the 5^th Army, troops have successfully established a bridgehead over the Garigliano River at various points.   The Germans, however are still within Artillery range of the river, and in consequence, movement is likely to bring down shell-fire.   The early crossings were by boat with considerable casualties. The pontoon bridges were under constant fire and needed rebuilding. There were early casualties and prisoners of war who needed repatriating.

First light on the river sees casualties being carried up. On the narrow bridgehead on the other side the Infantry are held up by mines, and a Company of Sappers file onto a pontoon raft with detecting apparatus, cast off, and slowly cross the river under mortar fire.

Sappers board a Mark II Pontoon Raft, start its outboard motor and cross the river.   This action was quite heavily mortared, but owing to the haze and smoke the bursts hardly registered.

While Sappers of the 252 Bridging Company Royal Engineers constructed a pontoon bridge and tank raft for the vehicles to follow.   The tank raft is seen in operation carrying a tank, ambulance and Jeeps.   A Bulldozer widens the approaches  and an assortment of vehicles line the road waiting for dark to cross by the reconstructed Pontoon Bridge.

The stretcher bearers bring the wounded up from the GARIGLIANO RIVER.   Then board a Mark II Pontoon Raft, start its outboard motor and cross the river.   The enemy is only 200 yards away on the opposite bank.   This action was quite heavily mortared, but owing to the haze of smoke, the bursts will probably not register.

The Pontoon Bridge further downstream has been badly damaged by German mortar fire.   Here Sappers are seen examining and reconstructing the bridge so that it can be used without delay as a jetty in conjunction with a light tank raft seen crossing beside the bridge

On the 56^th Division front a pontoon bridge was hit and partially sunk.   Some men preferred to run across the bridge and wade through the sunken portion – deeming it wiser to get wet feet.   Others preferred to remain dry and crossed in assault boats.   On the 5^th Division front at the mouth of the river, troops were ferried across on rafts – this movement obviously noticed by th enemy, as a considerable number of shells came over

Army 5 Division

No.2 Army Film and Photo Section

Cameramen:   Sgt Hopkinson

                              Sgt Weber

                              Sgt. J.R.Herbert

Copyright: Imperial War Museum (Video IWM 643/ 5-7)

Royal Engineers carrying repairs to pontoon bridge 19 Jan 44

 

River Garigliano. Royal Engineers in assault boats embark for the opposite bank to repair the last two sections of the pontoon bridge knocked out by enemy fire. 19 Jan 44. (Photo Capt. R.F. Gade. IWM TR 1523.

 River Garigliano. A signalman repairs a line on a recently shelled pontoon bridge, 19 Jan 44. (Photo Capt. R.F. Gade, IWM TR 1530)

German Position 19-23 Jan 44 as the Germans saw it.

 

                                        German Position 19-23 Jan 44 as the Germans saw it

Anniversary of the book launch!

 Time Flies! One Year ago the book was launched!   Thank you all and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! John

German prisoners awaiting interrogation

 

A group of German prisoners awaiting interrogation, 18 Jan 44. (Photo Capt R.F. Gade, 2 AFPU, IWM TR 1526

York & Lancaster Museum Rotherham

We Will Remember Them!

 Last week I visited the Clifton Park Museum in Rotherham.   The last time I visited the Museum was some years ago.  Sadly the York & Lancaster section has been considerably reduced since then and now consists of a small room with a couple of showcases and a chest of drawers with one drawer for each country the York & Lancs. fought in.  However the good news is that the staff were magnificent.   We were given a warm welcome by the doorman who then showed us to the York & Lancs. section.   Then we went to the archives section of the museum where the staff were wonderful and very helpful.   I gave them a copy of my book "Battle For Monte Natale", and we had a lovely chat.   They told me that 70% of the museum's enquiries relate to the York & Lancs. Regiment.

The Italy drawer of the York & Lancs:

The contents of the drawer were as follows:

The keepsake says Buon Natale:

 

There was also a photo of York & Lancs. soldiers in Italy but no further information   If anyone recognises them please do let me know!